


dissonant

by fnowae



Series: dissonant 'verse [1]
Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, Post-Hiatus, but anyway, prosthetic is a fun word, uh don't know if there's a tag for what this is abt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 10:01:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11712087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fnowae/pseuds/fnowae
Summary: As if on a cue, they hear a call of, "Hey, guys!", and three heads simultaneously turn towards Patrick, who is jogging over to their picnic table.It only takes Joe a moment to notice his prosthetic legs.





	dissonant

**Author's Note:**

> I don't fucking KNOW anymore leave me alone 
> 
> ✨gratuitous cameo by the mountain I live by cause fuck y'all why not✨

Joe, Andy, and Pete are all sitting at a picnic table at the park they'd agreed to meet up at. Patrick, as usual, is not-quite-fashionably late, leaving the other three to catch up on what they've missed out on while they were apart. 

Not all of them had been on horrible terms during the hiatus, but some of them had, and even the better off ones had been disconnected enough to have neglected to mention major details. 

For instance, Joe had had no idea that Pete had gotten a new girlfriend who he talks about very affectionately, or that Andy had moved. But he doesn't care too much about those things. Because mostly, Joe is excited to see Patrick. 

They'd been on okay terms during the break, but they'd also broken up with the band. Joe holds onto the hope that if the band's back together, maybe he and Patrick will be too. 

As if on a cue, they hear a call of, "Hey, guys!", and three heads simultaneously turn towards Patrick, who is jogging over to their picnic table.

It only takes Joe a moment to notice his prosthetic legs. 

His first thought is, _Damn, and I thought I was left in the dark about Andy moving._

Patrick reaches the table quickly. He's grinning, his cheeks flushed in the cold and the bitter wind. Under his arm is a box, and he extends it. 

"Got you guys some chocolates," he says by way of explanation. "Wasn't sure if I was supposed to bring something. Guess not. Oh well."

It seems to take him a moment to realize that they're all staring at him, and he frowns. "What?"

"Uh, Patrick?" Pete starts. "You...uh..."

A look of understanding crosses Patrick's face and he laughs nervously. "Oh, these old things?" He points to his legs. "Yeah, uh, can we not talk about that? It's not important. We're here to talk about the band, not me."

"Okay..." Pete responds reluctantly. 

Joe is pretty damn sure it's important. But he doesn't voice that certainty, because Patrick seems genuinely uncomfortable about it, and Joe doesn't want to force it. Later, he reasons. If Patrick is ever up to it. 

"So, where were we?" Andy asks, casting Patrick a small smile. 

Patrick laughs. "The band."

Joe nods to that. "Right."

///

At the end of the meeting, Patrick pulls Joe aside and asks him out for dinner that night, and all of Joe's hopes are fulfilled. Patrick explains that there's a nice Italian place nearby, but it's not too nice, so their casual clothes will be fine. Joe can't think of anything better than that. 

It's only four, so they spend an hour walking around the park, waiting until it can be considered a reasonable time to eat dinner. Joe's gaze keeps darting to Patrick's legs, and he keeps having to force himself to look away again. He's sure Patrick notices, and he feels bad about it. He doesn't want to push an uncomfortable topic. Instead, he gets them talking about stupid things like the weather and the trees and the sky. This makes Patrick smile, and that's all Joe wants. 

They head over to the Italian place when the clock hits five, thinking it's definitely dinner time now. The place is as good as Patrick had made it seem. Joe orders lasagna, and Patrick does the same. 

"I was thinking about it before you ordered!" he exclaims, laughing. 

"Great minds think alike," Joe responds, grinning. He'd missed this. So much. 

Patrick nods, grinning back. "Yes we do."

Joe falls silent, picking at the tablecloth. He wants to ask, but he keeps forcing himself not to. He's not going to ruin this moment. He's not. 

"How's life been?" Patrick asks, cocking his head to the side. 

"Oh, pretty good," Joe answers amicably. "Boring without you."

"Aw." Patrick goes a little red. "I'm flattered."

"I really missed you," Joe admits. 

"Yeah," Patrick agrees. "I missed you too."

Their food comes and they eat and talk and do a million little things that Joe had missed so much, and Joe thinks he deserves a medal because he _does not ask_. He doesn't so much as _mention_ the prosthetics. He wants to - god, he just wants to make sure Patrick's okay, but if it's not comfortable for Patrick, he's not going to mention it. 

So he doesn't. 

///

A couple days later, Patrick spends the night at Joe's place for the first time since the band had gotten back together. They spend most of the night watching the dumbest movies they can find - all horrible ones, but Joe has to draw the line when Patrick tries to play fucking _Foodfight_ \- and then go to crawl into bed together. 

Patrick has to remove his prosthetics to sleep, which is basically the most he's acknowledged their existence this whole time. He takes them off sitting at the edge of the bed, and then rolls over to face Joe. It's an uncharacteristically warm night, so they're laying above the sheets, which, while cooling them down, also gives Joe perfect view of Patrick's legs. Minus the prosthetics, they end in identical healed stumps right above the knee - or, right above where the knee _would_ be. 

Patrick must notice Joe staring, because he says quietly, "You can...you can ask."

Joe startles, eyes flying back up to Patrick's face. "Oh, no! You don't have to do that. I'll leave it alone."

"Really, I think you deserve to know," Patrick mutters, eyes shifting away from Joe. 

"If you're sure," Joe replies carefully. When Patrick nods, he continues, "Then tell me. What happened?"

Patrick sighs heavily. "I went to visit an old friend in Seattle. He took me hiking up Mt. Rainier, which was fun until it wasn't. Turned out my friend was kind of an asshole, because we got hit by a blizzard and he ditched me. I was lost for longer than I could keep track of. Luckily, someone knew I was up there, and got worried when my friend came back and I didn't. When they found me I was still alive, at least." He bites his lip, eyes shifting around the room, looking anywhere but to Joe. "But I had frostbite - fucking bad, too. And they...uh, they had to amputate both my legs. Obviously." He laughs bitterly and finally looks back to Joe. "That's really it. I'm sorry I didn't just tell you, it just...it kind of fucked me up." Quieter, he admits, "I still get nightmares about it."

"Holy shit," Joe breathes out, and after a single second of hesitation, he grabs Patrick and yanks him close. "That's so horrible, Patrick. I'm so sorry."

Patrick hugs him back. "It's...it's okay. I'm working with it, for the most part. It's hard sometimes, but I just gotta deal with this shit, you know?"

Joe nods, holding Patrick tighter until he's amazed Patrick can even still breathe. "You know you can always talk to me, right?"

"I know." Patrick nods. "I know that."

"Good," Joe whispers. He adds, even softer, "I love you."

Patrick smiles. "I love you too."

///

The next day, Joe is eating breakfast with Patrick and wonders aloud, "Hey, can I make the obligatory Stump joke?"

Patrick flings a spoonful of soggy Cheerios at him and declares, "If you say anything about that ever again I will kill you and then elope with Pete, and we will hide your body in your chimney so that you when people visit over the years the smell will get worse and worse but they won't be able to find the source, and when they finally do, it will be your rotting body."

Joe laughs. "Point taken."

**Author's Note:**

> should I write more for this au because i might. I like this one


End file.
